Martyrs' Cemetery of Twin Pagodas

Martyrs' Cemetery of Twin Pagodas

The Shuangta Martyrs' Cemetery is a Taiyuan Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism destination.

The Shuangta Martyrs' Cemetery in Taiyuan, located at No. A8 Nansixiang, Shuangta, Yingze District, Taiyuan City, was built in 1954 and named after its proximity to the “Twin Pagodas.” The cemetery covers an area of 210,000 square meters and is divided into two main sections: the memorial hall and the burial grounds. The memorial hall consists of three tall, adjacent concrete structures. The central hall has three floors and is built in a hip-and-gable style, serving as the columbarium. Inside the hall, there are exhibitions on the deeds of revolutionary martyrs such as Gao Junyu. The burial area spans 130,000 square meters, with the main burial section housing the remains of martyrs such as Liu Tianzhang, collectively referred to as the “Three Martyrs’ Tomb.” The tomb mounds are built from white marble in a spherical shape. Opposite the tomb mound plaza stands a martyrs' monument constructed from red granite, white marble, and black jade, symbolizing everlasting world peace. The martyrs’ burial section covers a total area of 2,800 square meters and is the resting place of 430 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Taiyuan. It is surrounded by lush pines and cypresses, exuding solemnity and reverence.

Capturing Shuangta Temple

At 23:00 on April 19, 1949, the People's Liberation Army launched a battle to eliminate enemies along the outer perimeter of the city walls across Taiyuan. The commander of the 19th Corps assigned the task of capturing Shuangta Temple to the 63rd Army. At 6:00 on April 22, our forces opened fire, quickly suppressing the enemy observation posts and destroying most of the bunkers and forward positions. Four main assault regiments of our army simultaneously charged from four directions, suddenly converging on Shuangta Temple. Guided by newly captured prisoners, they advanced through a hidden trench and erupted from the side of the temple like a volcanic explosion. Caught off guard, over 200 enemy soldiers surrendered without resistance. Then, overcoming the first and second outer trenches, after more than an hour of fierce attacks, they closed in on the enemy command post. The lieutenant general in command of the defense of Shuangta Temple, Liu Xiaozeng, was captured alive. The entire battle lasted just one and a half hours, and Shuangta Temple, which the enemy had boasted was an “impregnable fortress,” was completely captured by our forces.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Taiyuan Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units